What Kind Of Damage Can Trees Sustain From Cold Winter Weather?

What kind of damage can trees sustain in cold winter weather? The frequency and severity of winter damage are decided by many factors, like the plant type, the conditions, and location in which the tree is grown, and the precise timing of severe weather in the dormant period.

Opposite to popular belief, tree damage is not usually caused by a remarkably cold winter. Low-temperature damage is more frequently associated with temperature fluctuation than with lengthy cold weather.

Temperature Fluctuation
Acclimation to temperatures way below freezing stems from exposure to gradually falling temperatures and other things. Trees that are dormant but not thoroughly acclimated can be stressed or damaged by a sudden, hard freeze. Rapid drops in temperature after mild autumn creates damage to trees. Long periods of mild winter will de-acclimate trees, making them susceptible to injury from quick dips in the temperature.

Low Temps
Some types of trees are injured if temperatures go below a minimum tolerance level. Trees most likely to agonize winter injury are those that are slightly hardy for the area or those previously weakened by earlier stress. Types like holly, magnolia, or rhododendron could endure several mild winters in the Syracuse area before a more typical winter creates injury.

Flower buds are usually the most vulnerable. If buds with minimal hardiness are used, they should be put in protected sites like sheltered areas or courtyards. Generally, low temps are much less harmful than huge, rapid variations in temperature.

Frost Cracks
Frost cracks, aka radial shakes, look like shallow or deep longitudinal cracks in a tree’s trunk. They are most apparent in winter at temps under 15°F. Frost cracks frequent happen on the south or southwest sides of trees since this area has the most significant temperature fluctuations between night and day.

An abrupt drop in temperature makes the outer layer of the tree contract more quickly than the inner layer, resulting in big long breaks at frail points in the trunk. When a frost crack appears on a tree, it probably will appear yearly. If you believe you have frost cracks, talk with a tree specialist for solutions.